UPDATE: 2014 - More than 52,000 people have read this article so far so I thought I'd update it a bit. I still love my KRK Speakers.

But there is another brand/model that you may want to consider (Especially if you have an iPad, iPod, or Mac because they come in Black and White versions - see the bottom of this page for more info). The information contained on this page about Computer Speakers is based on my own experience researching affordable 'Audiophile' quality speakers for my own computer. After evaluating models from the Computer Manufacturers like Logitech, Creative Labs, Klipsch, etc. I was left very disappointed in the sound quality of the main brands of computer speakers.

So I investigated 'Studio Monitors' which are speakers Professional Recording Engineers use to mix and create the music you by on CD's and hear on the Radio. I now own a nice pair of KRK Rokit 5's and have been very happy with their performance. You can read the rest of my research below. Have you tired of the tinny scratchy cheap sound of most computer speakers? Have you noticed the hiss your computer speakers make when there is nothing playing? I have yet to come across any computer speaker that didn’t have very poor sound quality. Most computer speakers are manufactured with low end components and cheap connectors.

If you are tired of crappy sound then what you are about to read is for you! I’m going to show you everything you need to hook up an awesome pair of Studio Monitor Speakers to your computer. Speakers - Bi Amplified Studio Monitors from KRK or other High End Manufacturer. DAC – The connector box between the Speakers and your Computer (Makes speakers work on any Computer with a USB 2 Port – Mac or PC). You can also record your own music with DAC’s on this page, make CD’s from you old Tapes, etc.

RCA Cables – from the connector box to the speakers. Your own Mac or PC with USB 2.0 - Your On Board Sound Card does not Matter as the DAC does the duties of the Sound Card and is much cleaner. And YES you need this in order to assure proper connections to the Studio Monitor Speakers and to minimize the distortion some cheap sound cards output.

This is not a cheap set up but if you do it right you can do it all for about $350-$400. Do you love to listen to music while your work at your computer or perhaps even watch movies? Then this is the set up for you. Crisp, clear sound makes a huge difference in your listening enjoyment.

So if you are a person who really appreciates audio then its time to chuck your existing set up and upgrade to Studio Monitors. What You’ll Need to Upgrade to the Best Sounding Computer Speakers In the world of professional recording studios and broadcasting engineers there is something called a “Studio Monitor”. A Studio Monitor Speaker is used to “mix” the sound used to create professional CD’s.

Studio Monitors are called “Near-field” speakers. What this means is the speakers are designed to be placed in a “triangle” arrangement so the sound strikes your ears evenly. So you’ll want you speakers placed in front of you, away from the wall, and pointing at an angle towards you. You’ll also want them near ear level. The reason for this arrangement is so you get the best quality stereo imaging.

Near-field monitors are designed to output a near perfect flat response. This means the sound is not colored in anyway but is pure and natural. This is important in the recording industry so the finished product will sound the same no matter what kind of speakers they are played on. Think of it like this in the world of computer graphics professionals use screen calibrators so that RED, GREEN, and BLUE images really are red, green, and blue. You know how sometimes on cheap Televisions Red’s kind of look Orange, or can look washed out? Professionals calibrate so the screen image is the EXACT color they want.

This is the same principal with Studio Monitor Speakers. You want the sound pure, clean, and balanced. Typical Computer Speakers and Home Stereo Speakers are designed to push the sound out in all directions, bounce off walls, and fill a room with sound. In the process rooms become saturated with sound waves that are unnatural and not balanced. These sound waves can really muddy up or distort the sound from the studio example. If you have heard low end stereo speakers with the BASS artificially pushed you’ll know what I mean. In any case the sound is not pure.

Companies like Mackie, Tannoy, Yamaha, JBL, Alesis, Dynaudio AudioAcoustics, Genelec, and KRK are well known high end brands. What is suitable for the recording studio is ideally suitable for a personal computer system. With your typical computer set up you have a person seated at a desk and speakers on each side so room acoustics are less important because you create an ideal situation where the sound is focused in a perfect stereo triangle. I’ve included pictures of everything you need to set up your own AWESOME personal computer audio environment. I’ve included a typical set up with the Speakers I bought and recommend KRK Rokit 5’s.

Rokit 5’s are shielded so they do not produce interference with computer equipment. Not all Studio Monitors are shielded. Brief Summary of Connections. You only need to use RCA for Computer Hook Ups Studio Monitors use TRS (Tip, Ring, Sleeve), XLR 3 Pin, or RCA connectors. All Studio Monitors do not have RCA but most do; including the KRK Rokit series.

The advantage of a TRS or XLR is the 3 rd pin allows for a balanced signal to be passed from device to device eliminating the possibility for interference. For computer audio playback this is typically not an issue as long as you purchase a quality shielded RCA Cable. You want to run as short a cable as possible. Keep in mind Studio Monitors come in “Active” (Self Amplified) or “Passive” models. The better ones like the KRK are bi-amplified.

This just means each speaker has it's own amplifier thus 2 power cords. You do not want to buy the passive model which is cheaper because it does not contain an amplifier. You need to amplify the signal of passive monitors and that means a stereo amplifier which takes up room and ads to the cost. Active/Amplified Studio Monitors do not use Speaker Wire because the amplifiers are built in and this is a great benefit. Because the amplifier is ideally matched to the Tweeters and Woofers you don’t have to worry about under powering or over powering the speakers.

In addition because you eliminate Speaker Cables (Which are different from RCA, TRS, or XLR Cables), you introduce less noise to the audio signal resulting in a much cleaner sounding signal. You do NOT want to use your sound cards headphone jack or speaker jack.

You want to purchase a DAC (Digital to Analog) converter. I’ve shown examples of perfectly suitable low cost DAC’s on this page – The Behringer UCA202 and the M-Audio Fast Track. The reason you need these devices is they become the “Sound Card” for your speakers.

You get a line level input and not an amplified input like you would from a headphone jack. And while soundcards do have line level jacks, the quality of sound you’ll get from these USB devices is much cleaner.

One final note: As mentioned above gecause each speaker has it’s own amplifier each will also have it’s own power cord. I would suggest you purchase a high quality surge protector strip to plug in your speakers on top of your desk. On a side note the KRK’s make awesome satellite surround speakers if you set them up with a home theater system. But for computer use you do not need a surround sound system.

These speakers will sound so much better than any 5.1 off the shelf computer speakers you buy at the local electronic retailer. You’ll find all this equipment at your local Music Store or online at Amazon.com. Expect to pay $299 for the KRK Rokit Speaker Pair, $20 for good RCA Cables, and $30-$150 for the DAC.

Youtube Video of KRK Rokit 5 G2 (G2 Means “Generation 2” which is the most current model that has been shipping for about a year now. This is what you want. Happy listening!

Before choosing the KRK Rokit's I almost purchased the Alesis M Series. Alesis makes a nice speaker and if you are just looking for Great Sounding Computer Speakers (A big step up from the Junky Logitech, Sound Blaster, or whatever computer junk) you should take a good look at the Alesis speakers as well. One really nice feature of the Alesis is the USB interface is built in, so there is no confusion about what cables or what kind of break out box is needed. You just plug these into your computer's USB port and start enjoying the high end sound.

I've been reading lots of reviews of a new option you might want to consider (Was not available at the time I wrote this Original Article. Which has been read by 1,000's of people and generates a ton of questions still (Mostly about how to hook them up). And the KRK's do rock, and hard. But the AudioEngine A2+'s are also really awesome! Best Buy has them in some markets, but Amazon has them all the time and is the best place to read other peoples reviews.

These Speakers are Available in a BLACK or WHITE Finish (Perfect for matching Apple Products). I need some help!

I purchased almost the exact setup you recommended (rokit 5 g3) with the behringer interface. I only bought one speaker for now but I will be getting a second soon. I cannot figure out how to make the speakers work with the interface!

I'm using a RCA cable with a red and white end and a headphone jack on the other. Idk if that's the wrong cable or what but when I plug it all in I have everything turned up to 100% and I can barley hear anything out of the speaker. If you had any ideas or could show me a link to exact cables I would need that would be awesome! I thought I should mention something about the quality of cables. I recently purchased some USB Cables from Amazon - the Amazon Brand, they are cheap and work very well. Nicely constructed actually.

At the same time I purchased a MediaBridge Cable from Amazon to compare to the Amazon Brand. The MediaBridge seems just slightly better quality and it was about $1 more. I have also purchased Amazon HDMI cables because they were so much cheaper than any I could find locally. Again pretty good quality. So for computer use you will probably find that the Amazon brand cables work just fine.

On my high end audio equipment I tend to spend the money on the cables and interconnects because I can hear slight distortion in cables through my speakers especially if the run of cable is long. I like monster cable brand but I do believe they are over priced, but I also bought my audio cables at dealer cost (There is huge markup in cables). Any how if you are looking for good quality cheap cables then Amazons are as good as any. Anjan Luthra With computer connections and speakers there is going to be so much line noise and other noise (From a purely technical perspective) that you are not going to be able to tell the difference between a high end or Radio Shack type RCA cable. So buy something mid range and keep the distance as short as possible. RCA is not the cleanest connection but it works.

I used to sell Hi Fi equipment a lot of years back and some people spent $100's of dollars on cabling because they believed in the pursuit of audiophile quality sound. The reality is that any good name brand RCA cable will sound the same as the very top end in this application. I don't know where you are from but even Radio Shack Cables would work fine.

Home Depot has decent prices on cables as well. Personally I use 3' Monster Cable brand RCA's on my set up. Mostly because I already had them. I'm not familiar with all the connectors on the Fast Track Pro but as long as you have an available line level (non amplified input) you should be able to use an adapter to the Fast Track.

The Adapter won't make much difference as long as it plugs in and works. What will matter is if there is amplification of the signal at the cable box which could introduce 'hum' or line noise.

This is one of those variable conditions where you just have to try it and see if it works. I can't see a reason why it wouldn't work. But I'm not a sound engineer either. As an alternative because the Fast Track is going to be running off the USB ports it shouldn't conflict with any address space in the computer with your sound blaster card.

So worst case scenario you could run a separate set of speakers just for tv off the sound card like you are now. Of course this I know kind of kills the reason you are upgrading to the Rokits. Sorry I don't have a more definitive answer. It's been a long long time since I was selling electronics so most of what I know about them now is based on my personal experience with the equipment I own and use. Hello I have a question: I watch TV through my Dell 24 inch monitor (component hook-up) on a Studio XPS 9100 with Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium). My audio is being piped in from the cable box (RCA to 3.5mm audio) to the line-in option on the sound card. Now once I hook up the Rokit6's to the M-Audio Fast Track Pro interface, I will no longer have use of the audio hookup.

How do I solve the missing audio from the cable box? I thought about using a 3.5mm to 1/4 cable adapter and going through one of the inputs on the m-audio, or is there another way? Thanks in advance. I'm not familiar with that sound card or it's break out box.

But TRS or XLR balanced cables should not 'color' the signal. Only pass it on. RCA is the worst choice of the 3 because of the spec. I use RCA because it was cheap and I'm not mixing music.

All of 'color' would be done by the settings you have on the sound card/software interface. As a general rule the fewer times you introduce a connection to a signal the less chance it can degrade. And shorter is always better as well. I use 3' Monster cable RCA's. I also listen to a lot of MP3's which are not that great to begin with. Unless you are in a sound room where you can isolate the various sources of interference and noise you likely won't hear the difference between any of the cables you choose. Hi there, I am looking at buying a pair of rokit 5's and need some advice on whether they will work with an Audigy 2zs Platinum Pro soundcard?

It does come with an external box which has many different connection options 1/4' jack, RCA, XLR. My question is, what would be the best way to set it up and how do I go about doing it? I could connect it to my DJM 800 but I think that would be colouring the signal too much and is something I would like to try and avoid as they will be used for studio purposes. Anjan: You don't use split cables or mini trs stereo connectors. You are not connecting to your sound card.

I imagine you could but it would probably sound pretty bad due to feedback and a weak or distorted signal. You want a USB interface like the UCA-2002 which costs about $30. The interface plugs into your USB port then the cables from the interface to the speakers. If you buy a higher end interface you'll have more options and can use TRS or XLR or RCA connectors.

RCA is the least expensive option and suitable for listening. If you use RCA then what you want is 2 cables with 1 male connector on each end. Each end of the cable will look like this: Male/Male You can buy cheap cables for a couple of bucks or spendy cables for $20 to $40.

There are subtle differences, but even with cheap cables they will sound great. Cheap VCR Cables are usually bonded together, you can split them in half and use them as well. With RCA it's best to run the cables as short as you can and still leave room to position the speakers. Anything 6' or less should work out fine. I spent several days researching computer speakers, and finally decided on KRK Rokit 5s with a UCA202; exactly what you recommended.

I only wish that I'd have found this helpful article earlier. My previous computer speakers were Promedia 2.1s, and this method makes them sound like garbage compared. Plus, they broke.

Rokis are popular and have just enough resale value that people sell them, instead of leaving them to rot in a closet. Ebay and Craigslist frequently have Rokits for about half off retail. I purchased everything for under $200. Once you consider that, there is basically no reason to choose anything else if you're into music, even if you just want to listen.

I have the Rokit 5's. They work great. The UCA202 is needed is about $30. Because you sit at a desk for the most part 'aiming' the speakers towards you from each side works well. These are very powerful and very clear sounding speakers for the money. Directional means they do not 'fill a room' by sounding sound waves out to be reflected off walls.

In a small room or on a desk that is not an advantage. If you move around in a room they will still sound great, the difference is there will be less stereo effect from side to side. Most people don't pay attention to that. They only pay attention to volume and clarity. Most people have never heard 'true stereo' as that requires very high end speakers and very high end cables attached to discreet amplifiers.

If you can get into a real high end audio store (Not best buy), where they can shut the door and eliminate all the external noise then you can know what I'm talking about. The best thing you can do is find a music store and give them a listen. M-Audio makes some decent speakers as well but are not as highly regarded.

I want to buy a computer speaker for only general music listening (FLAC and Spotify) with an external DAC. Sony content manager software 1.2 for mac. I don't mix or record music and have no knowledge about it. Actually, wanted to buy Audioengine A2 for my music needs, but lately am more attracted to KRK Rokit 5 after listening to some in Youtube. Can I buy the Rokit 5 for my music needs or are they suited for people with mixers, controllers, etc around the speakers, as i generally see them.

Will the Rokit 5 sound good if I dont sit on the chair and move around in room, coz heard they're diretional? David, They definitely look like a computer product. No line level inputs, both amplifiers built into the left speaker, average spec's.

For the money they look in my opinion to be over priced. But it looks like their target audience isn't music people, it's people who want an easy to set up speaker for a computer. I didn't look very closely at them to see how the speaker wires connected. I'm sure they sound okay and most people would like them. If a person with music mixing experience were to listen to them I'm sure they would sound very 'colored'. Again this is a stereo speaker vs a studio monitor. The most important thing in any speaker is how you like the way it sounds and if it suits your own application.

Best Speakers For An Imac

I know this doesn't help in your decision, but it should help you to think a bit about what your own uses are. You should have enough in/outs to make this happen. The issue becomes the correct cabling. I'd still shoot a note to M-Audio tech support to get their recommendation. However you may want to read this as well: So, your set up will be left and right TRS outs on the fast track to left and right XLR ins on the sub, and left and right XLR outs on the sub to the ins on the Rokits. Check the diagram on page 6 of the manual. Similar set up for other subs although the ins/outs may be TRS/RCA etc.

Last Post on the page from 'Mesh Nation'. I'm not running a sub nor do I have a Fast Track so I can't speak from experience. But there is no reason this shouldn't work.

Mostly right. Studio monitors are not reflective speakers by design. However all sound will reflect. ONe should just adjust the speakers so they deliver the best sound in their own personal space. These are small speakers but they pack a whole lot of punch! You can almost think of Studio monitors in the sense you would think of headphones. The sound needs to be 'aimed'.

FYI: That's not actually my own personal set up. I don't place the interface on the speakers. But I believe that is good advice. Usually it's the power supplies or other powered components that cause the interference. Have you tried completely eliminating RCA all together?

Go XLR or TRS and no RCA at all? I can't do this because of my audio interface. I didn't look your's up to see if you can or not. Definitely have to find the source of the interference as it's not the speakers.

However ALL powered speakers will generate some hiss whether it's noticeable or not to the person using the speakers. In time I plan to upgrade the audio interface. I wish I knew enough about the USB spec (As USB is a powered) to determine if it is the USB connection itself which introduces the interference. Great article!

Couple of questions with my scenario. Here is my setup: iMac 27' M-Audio FireWire Audiophile Pair of Rokit R6 SE's I'm noticing the same odd feedback that the original poster mentioned. When I scroll online or perform any gesture on my Mac, I hear some odd electronic feedback of the action. There is a permanent buzz/hiss coming through the monitors at all times, and I'm forced to keep the levels very low to avoid my music being overtaken by the buzz. The Rockit's are plugged in via a quarter-inch balanced cable, into the RCA output on the on the M-Audio sound card. While plugging my iPod directly in to the KRK's, the sound is FLAWLESS, no hiss, buzz, no problems at any level of volume.

The problem only presents itself when connected to the iMac. Here's what I tried to solve the problem: - Purchased new cables, this time RCA to RCA. Problem worsened - Tried running the KRK's through a totally different Native Instruments DJ sound card and a new quarter inch connection Y cable. Problem worsened. Plugged the entire set up into a different power bar, different room. No difference.

Any suggestions? I love the KRK's but this buzz is killing me and ruining the accuracy and clarity of the audio! David that should be a good solution. RCA is certainly not the best solution.

I only do it because it's so cheap. The Interface I'm using was under $30. It's my understanding both XLR and TRS are balanced line level.

TS is unbalanced and I'm not sure if that would introduce noise in the same way that RCA does. I don't have experience recording audio. I can't tell you a specific advantage to one over the other. But both would be superior to RCA and neither should introduce any problems for use in listening as computer speakers. I am not familiar with the UX1 but it looks to be quite similar to the FastTrack from what I can see. As computer speakers the interface is nothing more than a converter from the USB.

Short clean signal is what you want. Skip the RCA. It's old technology that works. But introduces noise to the signal as well. Take a look at this site. It explains the connector types and balanced and unbalanced much better than I can.

Just wondering If I could substitute my Pod Studio UX1 Audio interface for the M-Audio Fast Track interface to achieve the same results. Im running 1/4 inch TS cables from the analog outs on the UX1 to the balanced TRS jacks on the Rokit 5 monitor speakers. The UX1 also has a pair of Line Input jacks which can be used to record from a line level source as well as a Monitor In stereo jack which uses a 1/4 inch TRS audio cable. Of course the UX1 doesn't have RCA jacks. Just wondering If I could use the UX1 with the Rokit Studio monitors for recording as well as regular computer speakers. Would I need an adaptor since the UX1 doesn't have RCA jacks.If so would I make the connection by running from the analog outs on the UX1 to the RCA jack on the Rokit 5 monitors.

Your Fast Track has regular stereo RCA out like the U202 which is why I decided not to spend the extra money as I just wanted playback for now. Unfortunately you have to spend a lot of more money to get an audio interface with line level jacks (XLR/TRS) which is really the way I wanted to go. But I figured I could wait and upgrade that later when I decided what kind of mixer I want. The higher versions of the Fast Track like the Ultra have XLR/TRS. RCA really isn't the best solution as it introduces a minimal amount of feedback (noise) into the audio.

All powered speakers will produce some 'hiss'. You can read how the signal works in RCA on Wickipedia. Disconnect your speaker wires. Turn the speakers on then turn up the volume until you can hear some hiss. With the Rokits it's pretty minimal. Now plug the speakers back in and move the RCA cables around to see if the hiss sound changes. If it does then it's likely you have some kind of electrical or magnetic field interference.

The movement of the webpage has nothing to do with the signal changing. It would have to occur from the Mac Drawing more power to or from the USB ports by the act of moving the mouse or scrolling. Something has to change an electrical signal.

There could be some issue with power surging through your power supply as you scroll as well. I chose to use the shortest Monster Cable RCA cables I had - both are 2' long. Then I made sure the surger protector and other cables did not cross them. See if different cables will help. And try to get shielded cables if you don't have them and isolate any power sources which may be creating magnetic power fields.

The USB interfaces are not perfect, but they are much better than any other computer speaker I've ever tried from Logitech, Cambridge, Creative Labs, etc. For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: Show Details Necessary HubPages Device ID This is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons. Login This is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service. Google Recaptcha This is used to prevent bots and spam. Akismet This is used to detect comment spam.

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